12 Suggesting counterarguments
Purpose and important information:
Thinking critically and proposing counterarguments are fundamental skills needed to undertake coursework and assessments successfully at university. By utilising these skills, you can develop a deeper understanding of the material and demonstrate a more nuanced understanding of complex issues.
You can leverage AI tools to assist you with this by prompting them to provide counterarguments for the topic you’re examining. What’s more, you can use it to conduct a comparative analysis of two concepts/theories to better understand their similarities, differences, and limitations.
Important note: AI tools may sometimes generate inaccurate information. Make sure to exercise your own judgment and understanding of the class content to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the AI-generated content.
Prompt template
For this type of prompt, we recommend giving the AI tool a role which mimics a person who would have significant knowledge on this topic (e.g. an expert in law). In the prompt, specify the task (e.g. list opposing viewpoints of) along with any specific requirements or parameters (e.g. provide thorough reasoning).
From here, you can interrogate the output using follow-up prompts. This will help you to fully explore the arguments in relation to your topic.
Act as <a role> in <field>. List opposing viewpoints of <concept/theory> and provide thorough reasoning.
Example prompt and output
The following prompt was tested in RMIT’s Val.
RMIT University. (2024). Val [Large language model]. https://val.rmit.edu.au. See Appendix 5 for prompt used and text generated.
Prompt template
Some generative AI tools will create formatted tables if asked to do so within the prompt. These tables can provide a visual tool to help you to compare concepts or theories.
Act as <a role> in<field>. Come up with a table comparing <theory/concept 1> with <theory/concept 2>. Provide multiple points and list them in a table form.
Example prompt and output
The following prompt was tested in Google Gemini.
Google. (2024). Gemini [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/share/3f3a2d1faa96
